1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to message analysis tools and more particularly to a digital message analysis tool for evaluating digital message implementations on multiple platforms and their interoperability between platforms.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are complicated issues associated with implementing digital communication using a specific digital message standard on platforms, such as military aircraft, computer systems, and commercial aircrafts/systems.
A first issue is the correct interpretation and understanding of the requirements contained within the digital message standard and the interdependencies of these requirements. There are many requirements associated with each digital message (e.g. transmit and receive requirements) contained within a digital message standard that are required to be implemented if the system is to operate correctly within the digital communication net. Until now, these requirements have been manually associated for each message. This effort takes hours, if not days, to determine all the interdependencies. Many of the digital message standards are provided in a word processor format. This requires the user to manually search for the associated requirements. A solution of providing an automated tool to identify all the inter-relationships has heretofore not been fully implemented.
A second issue is the identification of disconnects between digital message designs for platforms that have already implemented the digital message standard. Finding disconnects between digital message implementations requires the message comparison at the element level on an operational function basis. Each digital message contains many elements that are both required and optional depending on the operational function being performed by the platform. Each operational function performed by a platform requires a specific set of messages and elements be implemented. Until now, for the most part, this comparison has been accomplished manually. This is a very time-consuming effort that is required to be done on each platform being evaluated. A complete automated solution for this comparison has not been developed to date.
A third issue is developing a message implementation that will be interoperable in accordance with the digital message standard. As mentioned above, each operational function has a set of requirements, messages, and message elements that are required to achieve interoperability with other platforms supporting those operational functions. Until now, each platform would have to develop a digital message implementation manually in accordance with the requirements contained in the digital message standard. This is a very time consuming effort. A fully automated solution to the development of a message implementation that is interoperable by operational function has not been developed.